UC Davis College of Letters & Science

UC Davis Fashion Students Learn From Scottish Artisans at Royal Estate In a small Scottish village on the vast estate of King's Foundation, filled with green grasses, manicured gardens and roaming farm animals, a group of UC Davis design students experienced first-hand what local and sustainable fashion looks like in the U.K.

What does sustainable fashion look like in practice?

Ten design students from @ucdavis.bsky.social found out during a Planet Positive Residency in Scotland, learning from farmers, artisans, and tailors about slow fashion, natural dyes, and traditional craftsmanship.

Climate change is reshaping our lives — and our oceans.

Oceanographer Tessa Hill at @ucdavis.bsky.social studies where climate change meets the ocean, exploring how environmental shifts affect ecosystems, economies, and communities worldwide.

Visit https://bit.ly/4kKBtx0 to learn more.

Inside UC Davis' Winter Musical ‘The Drowsy Chaperone' 'The Drowsy Chaperone' tells the story of a man looking back on his life via his relationship to an audio recording of an old musical from 1928. Using his imagination only, "the Man in the Chair,” drawing from old Hollywood and musical theatre tropes an...

Students, alumni, and staff are bringing imagination to life in 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' a hilarious, music-filled adventure with incredible costumes, choreography, and performances.

@ucdavis.bsky.social

Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine:

A person (Zachary Oakland) in a lab coat and safety goggles is using a pipette in a laboratory. The image includes text: "From Labs to Lives" and "UC Davis Delivers."

What really happens when research funding is threatened?

Research at @ucdavis.bsky.social knows no bounds. Whether it's more treatments, cleaner air, or safer communities, our research touches every aspect of life.

Show your support at https://bit.ly/4kKBtx0

#FromLabstoLives #UCDavisDelivers

Could LSD help treat schizophrenia without the hallucinations?

Led by professor David Olson, this groundbreaking work reflects a growing field of “psychoplastogens," compounds that promote brain plasticity and may offer a safer path to mental health treatments.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4rwqklM

UC Davis Immigration Experts Discuss Global Migration for Campus Book Project On January 27, a UC Davis Global Migration Center expert panel discussed Solito, the 2026 UC Davis Campus Community Book Project Selection, and how different research disciplines explore complex questions about immigration in the U.S.

Research-driven insights into one of today’s most urgent global issues.
Immigration experts from @ucdavis.bsky.social explored global migration, deportation, and immigration policy through the Campus Community Book Project, inspired by ‘Solito’ by Javier Zamora.

Read more:

How Did the Milky Way Galaxy Form? At the February 2026 Astronomy on Tap event at Sudwerk Brewing Co., Andrew Wetzel used supercomputer simulations to take the audience through the 13.8-billion-year history of the Milky Way galaxy.

How did the Milky Way galaxy form?

Astronomers from @ucdavis.bsky.social are using powerful computer simulations to trace our galaxy’s evolution and uncover how the elements of life were created along the way.

Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine:

Close-up of a brown raptor with a sharp beak and amber eye. Text reads: "Bird Flight Research Advances Drone Technology and Wild Raptor Care" with the UC Davis logo.

UC Davis researchers from engineering and veterinary medicine have teamed up at the new Center for Animal Flight and Innovation. Using high-tech video to study birds in flight, the project aims to revolutionize UAV and drone research. https://ucdav.is/478Fzt0

UC Davis Announces Suad Joseph Graduate Student Research Award in Lebanon and Palestine Studies Suad Joseph, a leading scholar of women and gender in the Middle East, has established the Suad Joseph Graduate Student Research Award in Lebanon and Palestine Studies. The award will support graduate students conducting research on Lebanon, Palestine a...

Professor emerita Suad Joseph of @ucdavis.bsky.social has established a new graduate research award supporting studies of Lebanon, Palestine, and their diasporas — investing in students, scholarship, and the future of global understanding.

'The Tallest Dwarf' Documentary Coming to Davis, PBS and a Theater Near You? Julie Wyman, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and associate professor of cinema and digital media at UC Davis, finds belonging and an unexpected history within the dwarf community whilst working on her documentary, "The Tallest Dwarf." It will be ...

Filmmaker Julie Wyman’s documentary 'The Tallest Dwarf' explores identity, representation, and belonging within the dwarf community — reframing a history shaped by the outside gaze.

Find out how you can watch at the Letters and Science Magazine.

@ucdavis.bsky.social

Power, Politics and Violence in the U.S. For this edition of Books of the Month, as protests and political divides continue to disrupt lives across the U.S., we've selected books that grapple with these issues, telling stories of both survival and resistance.

February's Books of the Month feature scholars from @ucdavis.bsky.social whose research explores the roots and realities of state violence in the country. From mass incarceration to political resistance and democratic institutions, these works place today’s upheavals in a deeper historical context.

5 Unofficial Love Languages

#UCDavis' Paul Eastwick (of course) on love languages www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/w... @ucdavispsych.bsky.social @ucdlands.bsky.social @ucdavis.bsky.social

Join us on campus this Saturday for #UCDavis Biodiversity Museum Day! See inspiring exhibits on insects, plants & yeast! During the free event, visit the Bee Haven, Herbarium, @bohartmuseum.bsky.social & more! biodiversitymuseumday.ucdavis.edu

How Federal Immigration Enforcement Violence in Minneapolis Echoes U.S. History Federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis is part of a larger history of government violence against citizens and non-citizens alike. However, today's technology, rhetoric and legal tensions are changing what that violence means for society.

Recent killings in Minneapolis by federal agents raise urgent questions about immigration law, government power, and U.S. history. Experts from @ucdavis.bsky.social explore what’s happening and why it matters.

@history-ucdavis.bsky.social

Can You Die From a Broken Heart? At the February Davis Science Café, an event hosted by Professor Jared Shaw and the Department of Chemistry, Crystal Ripplinger explored the compounding effects of emotional stress on the heart and explained the science behind broken heart syndrome.

Can you die from a broken heart?

Broken heart syndrome -- or takotsubo cardiomyopathy -- can be triggered by intense emotional stress and often mimics a heart attack.

Researchers at @ucdavis.bsky.social are studying why it disproportionately affects women -- and what adrenaline does to the heart.

New Book Charts Evolution's Role in Romantic Love The new book, Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection, by UC Davis psychologist Paul Eastwick, explains what happens when the mist of desirability wears off and compatibility has the chance to chart lasting love and happiness.

How does evolution shape romantic love? @ucdavis.bsky.social psychologist Paul Eastwick explores why compatibility matters more than desirability, and what science says about lasting relationships.

Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine:

The Science of Fatherhood In her book Father Time, Sarah Blaffer Hrdy explores the role males play in parental care and its evolutionary basis. Now, the book has inspired a 52-minute documentary called Father Time: Why Men Are Born to Nurture.

Are men biologically wired to nurture? A new documentary inspired by research at @ucdavis.bsky.social explores the science behind fatherhood — from hormones to brain changes.

Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine:

New Book Explores the Human Cost of DOGE Cuts Under Trump and Musk What happens when “efficiency” comes at the expense of people? In his new book, American Carnage, Journalist and UC Davis Writing Center lecturer Sasha Abramsky examines the human cost of DOGE cuts during the second Trump administration. From lost healt...

Sasha Abramsky’s new book, American Carnage, explores the human cost of DOGE cuts, centering the stories of federal workers impacted by sweeping government layoffs and policy changes. Abramsky reflects on political discourse, journalism, and teaching in a polarized era.

@ucdavis.bsky.social

Remembering Eugene Lunn: A UC Davis Historian's Enduring Teaching Legacy Eugene Lunn served as a professor of history at UC Davis for two decades before his untimely passing in 1990, but his work as a scholar and his deep commitment to his students left a powerful impression that continues to resonate today.

Long after a course ends, the lessons of a great teacher remain.

Former students remember Eugene Lunn, a UC Davis historian whose love of ideas, respect for students and commitment to thoughtful debate shaped their lives and continues to shape the university today.

@ucdavis.bsky.social

Read more:

The Molecular Architects Annaliese Franz and her lab are designing therapeutic molecules of the future. Through organic synthesis and catalysis, the team is building and improving molecules with therapeutic potential. Some current projects include developing a new nanoparticle ...

In Annaliese Franz’s lab, chemistry meets creativity.

Her team designs molecules like architects, using silicon as a building block to improve vaccines, enhance cannabinoids for epilepsy treatment, and create more efficient therapeutic designs.

@ucdavis.bsky.social
@ucdavisipn.bsky.social

Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others? A Neurobiologist Explains If you're reading this, chances are you've been bit by a mosquito. But what do you know about these creatures beyond them being perceived pesky annoyances? At the January Davis Science Cafe, neurobiologist Lisa Baik explained what can lead to mosquito b...

Ever wonder why mosquitoes seem to bite some people more than others?

UC Davis neurobiologist Lisa Baik explains how taste, skin chemistry, and environmental cues influence mosquito behavior — and how new research could lead to safer, more effective repellents.

@ucdavis.bsky.social

Check out Letters and Science Professor of Design, Tim McNeil, on the latest episode of the Minds Over Matters podcast!

The Untold Story of How COVID-19 and Disinformation Nearly Undermined Taiwan's Democracy The COVID-19 pandemic was a global crisis that showed the fragility of democracy in Taiwan, where misinformation threatened the three pillars that define the nation's government and civil society.

Taiwan’s response to COVID-19 was globally praised, but beneath that success were growing tensions between liberty, caring and efficient governance.

New research examines how misinformation and fear nearly undermined democracy during the pandemic, offering lessons that extend far beyond Taiwan.

From exploring machine learning and linguistics to running VR experiments, Prati Mehta discovered that research isn’t just about data; it’s about hands-on learning, collaboration, and uncovering new passions.

Read how saying “yes” to research shaped her college experience: https://bit.ly/3Og4uUQ

What Happens Inside a Black Hole? A UC Davis Astrophysicist Weighs In How might falling into a black hole feel? Assuming you're not ripped apart, a process called spaghettification, and your consciousness remains intact, UC Davis Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Brenna Mockler has some ideas.

What would it feel like to fall into a black hole?

UC Davis astrophysicist Brenna Mockler explores how time, gravity, and light behave near these cosmic extremes, diving into how studying star-devouring black holes helps scientists understand how galaxies evolve.

@ucdavis.bsky.social

Research Suggests Nationwide Racial Disparities in Media Reporting on Gun Violence Mass shootings in white-majority neighborhoods received roughly twice the news coverage of mass shootings in neighborhoods where a majority of residents were people of color, while coverage of police-involved shootings was disproportionately high in maj...

New research shows that gun violence is reported differently depending on where it happens.

Analyzing nearly 36,000 news stories, researchers identified consistent racial disparities in both the volume and language of gun violence reporting across the U.S.

@ucdavis.bsky.social

A picture of UC Davis alum and donor Maury Gallagher Jr. in front of Gallagher Hall, with the text "Dean's Distinguished Speaker | Feb. 10, 2026 5:30-6:30PM at the Walter Buehler Alumni Center"

A Maverick with a Need for Speed ✈️ Real leadership lessons from the airline disruptor who refused to fly on autopilot, building the No. 2 rated airline in the U.S.

Dean's Distinguished Speaker Maurice J. Gallagher Jr. 🎙️ bit.ly/4sJOPxa | @calaggiealumni.bsky.social @ucdavis.bsky.social

Join us as Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and journalist Anne Applebaum delivers the Eugene Lunn Memorial Lecture.

From financial systems to propaganda, we'll examine the hidden networks behind modern autocracy and explore how they shape global politics today.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4jOPGIC

Early Environments May Shape Executive Function and Self-Control Over a Lifetime A new review paper from the Center for Mind and Brain suggests that a person's environment in early childhood has much more to do with how they engage executive function -- like exerting self-control -- throughout their lives than innate ability.

What if self-control isn’t just about capacity, but also choice?

A new UC Davis review argues that early experiences shape when executive function feels worth the effort, starting in childhood and lasting a lifetime.

Read more at the Letters and Science Magazine.

@ucdavis.bsky.social

Finding that Ripe Cone Sweet Spot: Looking Back to Help the Future California’s wildfire seasons are becoming more intense, and the state’s public bank of seeds to help replant and reforest lands after blazes is understocked by thousands of pounds. A new research pro...

California’s wildfire seasons are becoming more intense & the state’s public bank of seeds to replant lands is understocked. New #UCDavis research aims to predict when & where cones will ripen so they can be collected, the seeds removed, dried & stored for later use.
caes.ucdavis.edu/news/finding...